The Berry and the Yakuza
by UlquiorraCuatroEspada
Summary: Ichigo is forced into going to a retreat in steed of his older brother, Kon. While in another city, he encounters a mysterious pale man with even more mysterious connections. But what happens when Ichigo catchs the attention of another? Yaoi ShiroIchi.
1. Prologue

**Welcome to my next fic. Don't worry, I will be updating my other ones.**

**This story was inspired by a book I once read a while ago, although this one is obviously about Bleach and not a woman who likes army men. Now that was a strange book.**

**DISCLAIMER: The author does not own BLEACH or any of the characters involved. All characters depicted in this fanfiction are of legal age. No money is made from this story.**

**WARNINGS: Yaoi (man on man relations) swearing, molestation, etc.**

_**The Berry and the Yakuza.**_

**Prologue.**

**Kon to Ichigo: **_You wouldn't recognize a good time if it were to land in your lap and wriggle_.

Ichigo Kurosaki stared at the instant message from his twin brother- his fraternal, meaner twin, who had nothing in common with him besides a last name and slightly similar appearance-and felt his blood boil.

It was long past midnight. His last artwork he'd worked so hard on to complete only received a hundred dollars. His career as artist was in the crapper and had been heading there for months. Ichigo wasn't looking at making it a full time career, but it was the only way he could get money to pay his rent. He was unable to get a job because his studies at university took up too much time and always wore him out. Once, twice, again he thunked his head against his kitchen table that doubled as a work station. His research material and computer printouts of reference material were piled under his chair, all over his countertops and stuffed in the nearby plate rack that made a really creative filing system. And now his ever- helpful twin who thought he knew everything because he had pushed himself out of the womb two minutes before Ichigo wanted to tell him how to have a good time?

Rubbing his now sore head, he wondered if anyone had popularized GTH as an email acronym. Go to... Hell fit Ichigo's response quite aptly.

**Ichigo to Kon:** _I don't need a vacation!_

Ichigo typed back, picturing his twin on the other side of the country.

Kon lived in Tokyo, a good six hundred kilometers from Ichigo's plot of dirt in Karakura Town. Ichigo had come by his small apartment near the University thanks to a brilliant real- estate agent and a small inheritance from his goofy father that he didn't like to remember. He was very content to stay where his roots are, but his father whined about his little boy never growing up and decided that living by himself would be better for his sanity. The brother who thought he knew everything from which wine to pour with a cheeseburger to what men Ichigo should date.

Like now. Ichigo's eyes went straight to the vacation brochure glaring at him from beside his computer. Kon had been given a pass for a two week trip to a place in Japan that Ichigo had never heard of before, and was convinced that Ichigo had to have it. He had been on his high horse about how Ichigo had been working too hard, and had to take a break. The reason why he had been so busy lately was because of his stupid brother, Kon. Kon had recently been promoted to the leading District Doctor at the hospital he worked at- and took every opportunity to rub it in Ichigo's face since he was still learning to be an architect. It wasn't his fault that it was taking him so long! It was that perverted teacher, Grimmjow- Sensei who decided to take the mentality of 'hands on learning' too seriously.

**Kon to Ichigo:**_ You haven't been out of that shitty piece of dirt you call a town in months._ His twin typed back, the instant message tone chiming.

**Kon to Ichigo:** _It's bad enough you don't get nearly enough fresh food out there, but you're turning into a hermit. Social skills disappear if you don't use them, Ichi. _

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the use of the endearment and the chain of smiley- faced emoticons that followed. Too bad there wasn't an emoticon for smugness.

Kon did strike a sore spot with the bit about his social skills, though. Ichigo had a reason to be antisocial after a traumatic incident where he had been present when his mother was killed by an unknown person in an attempt to save his own life. That made him cautious. Appreciative of his privacy. And pretty damn picky when it came to who he let into his life.

That is why he decided to go into architecture. Ichigo figured that he could just isolate himself from everyone if everything became too stressful to work on his projects. From what Ichigo knew, the business could be quite quiet. Exactly what Ichigo wanted in a job.

**Kon to Ichigo:**___You're far more worried about looking good in front of Dad than me._

Came the quick message from Kon, the crisp, typed letters blinking back at Ichigo.

Damn straight.  
><strong>Ichigo to Kon<strong>_**: **__ Cut the crap, Kon._

One in the morning was too late for diplomacy, Ichigo decided, typing away with tired fingers. He was about to close the instant messenger window to end the conversation and plot his next big splash in the world of art, but his big brothers newest note was already popping open. 

**Kon to Ichigo:**_The e- ticket is already in your inbox. I can't take it right now because work is getting stressful with the new promotion and all._

The note was followed by the tone that indicated that Kon had signed off, ensuring his twin had the last word. As per usual.

An wasn't it amusing that Kon though that Ichigo was a hermit with no social skills, yet all Kon does is work. Dear god, what if he was more like his brother in more ways than he realized?

Suddenly tempted by that ticket, if only to prove that he hadn't turned antisocial in the years since high-school, Ichigo allowed his mouse to to hover over the icon for his email inbox and yanked it away. He refused to get sucked into hid brother's Dr. Phill act. Kon loved to prescribe other people's life paths. Just because he was a doctor. That's probably what made him so popular. Some people needed direction in life.

Ichigo was not one of them.

Instead he clicked on the file containing his latest secret weapon. He had hoped to get it done by the end of the month in time to pay his rent. But that looked to be an unrealistic dream.  
>Before Ichigo would be forced to either back in with the crazy lunatic that he called a father or the annoying narcissistic bastard of a brother who also goes by the name of Kon.<br>Both meant admitting weakness, something that Ichigo was not going to do so easily.  
>Ichigo looked back at his files and sighed. Moving his mouse over to the Internet icon he opened the Webpage for the retreat and scanned the photos. He had to admit that the place did look beautiful, not to mention relaxing. Tapping the keys gave him more information about the place as well as some of the locations nearby. Ichigo felt his eyes widen. Some if the places nearby were just screaming to be painted, to be put down on canvas and sold for major yen.<p>

The retreat suddenly didn't look so bad now. Maybe Ichigo would go, even if it would mean that his pride would have to give a bit.

**A/N:** **So what do you think? Have potential to be a story?**

**I hope so.**

**Anyway, look out for the next chapter, I shall be posting it soon!**

**Please review.**


	2. Chapter one

**This story was inspired by a book I once read a while ago, although this one is obviously about Bleach and not a woman who likes army men. Now that was a strange book.**

**DISCLAIMER: The author does not own BLEACH or any of the characters involved. All characters depicted in this fanfiction are of legal age. No money is made from this story.**

**WARNINGS: Yaoi (man on man relations) swearing, molestation, etc.**

**The Berry and the Yakuza.**

_**Chapter one**_

**Near Kurakimi Retreat**  
>Japan<br>Three days later

The night looked more appealing the moment that the orange haired kid stepped into the bar.  
>Shirosaki Hichigo, Shiro to his friends, tipped back his shot of Blue Motherfucker and determined the exact second his evening had gone from bad to brilliant. And it wasn't just because the boy in question carried a cell in one hand and laptop satchel in the other for a drink at the retreat spa. Shiro considered these the hallmarks of someone who need to chill out and relax.<br>No, the boy dressed in impossibly tight jeans at the Urahara Shoten proved a intriguing sight because he was currently being hit on by the man he was meant to be watching over. With a delectable arse drawing the attention of nearly all of the people in the bar, the boy made it damn difficult to watch Kenpachi.

And be needed to watch the large man because, get enough alcohol in his system, and he gets violent. And flirty.

"I could go over there," Shirosaki's buddy across the table offered. Shinji Hirako was his koto, and also his friend since the second grade. Another member of tonight's host party for the large man with a shirt as loud as his personality, Shinji wasn't the sort of guy that many forgot.

No one tended to hold Shirosaki's gaze for longer than a brief moment- this may have had something to do with his strange eyes that were black where they were meant to be white and irises of pure gold- when Shinji jumped behind the bar to show the locals his favourite rum concoctions or leaped on a table to start a round of horrible karaoke.

The live band's mix of Japanese pop and rock filled the small bar, vibrating along the bench and the thick glass that adorned the windows.

"And what do ya think that will accomplish?" Shirosaki set aside his empty glass, content to stretch out his body and watch the delectable strawberry fidget awkwardly under Kenpachi's leering gaze and perverted comments.

"I could charm little berry-tan over there to get him out of Zaraki's gaze long enough to hall his giant arse back over here." Shinji picked up Shiro's empty glass and waved it around as he whistled for the waitress. "You should get our guy back quickly. Well, your guy since I am technically off duty." Shinji paused to study his fingernails before tilting her head to the side slightly. "Oh that's right, so are you. You just forgot how to stop working for more than five minutes."

Clearly the guy's fifth rum wasn't mellowing him out one damn bit.

"What makes ya think that I ain't here to get laid? That strawberry ova there is right up my alley." Shiro leered to the blonde haired male who had now just sighed with irritation and turned the other way to watch the strawberry order a drink and try to ignore Zaraki's persistent comments.  
>Shiro didn't have a clear view since four other guys decided to take turns checking out the delicious strawberry and continually got in his way. But it looked like the berry had tensed, his feminine figure straightening in his seat beside Zaraki.<p>

"Because it has been ages since you took interest in someone, that's why." Shinji turned around to follow Shiro's gaze once again. "And if I remember correctly, you swore off sophisticated city boys who thought that they were better than the general population." He swung his face back towards Shiro. "Although, I do admit that the little berry-tan does have a cute butt." Shiro couldn't agree more. The strawberry defiantly had a very appealing backside.  
>Shinji began to rank on about something to do with an upcoming deal with the Shinigami and Shiro began to zone out. Shiro heard heard him in a peripheral sense, but couldn't quite tear his attention away from the uptown boy who was now clearly trying to shove Kenpachi off him. The larger man's hands had wrapped around the Strawberry's waist to drag him close, and he seemed to be putting in a hell of a load of effort into keeping him at bay. Muscles in his biceps and triceps flexed, his hands were splayed on Kenpachi's chest, fingers bent back at an awkward angle at his forward momentum.<p>

Yeah, the night was definitely taking a downward spiral. Shiro wanted to spring up and snatch the delectable berry away from Zaraki, but he knew that angering the larger man would only prevent the alliance between both of their clans from being finalized.

What the berry in the tight pants needed was for one if the men who had been leering at his backside to get off their lazy arses and help him get away from the perverted Romeo. Whenever Zaraki was a leading boss in the Shinigami Mafia or not, he did not deserve to get away with manhandling Shiro's delectable strawberry. Especially if the said strawberry wasn't interested.  
>But is seemed that every last one of the hawkers just watched in salacious envy as Kenpachi continued to grope him.<p>

"Shit." Tension coiled inside him. Tighter.

Shinji turned. A waitress had tried to intervene. And then Shiro was on his feet, not caring if he was potentially screwing up the alliance. An alliance with one of the largest Mafia groups in Japan. People never take advantage of what is Shiro's. Or at least what is soon to be.

Ten strides brought him table side with Kenpachi and the strawberry.

He raised his so he was looking directly at Kenpachi and narrowed his black on gold gaze dangerously.

"Didn't anyone tell ya that 'no' means 'no', Kenpachi?"

Shiro counted on a surprise tactic and created a path for the berry to clear out of the booth.  
>Shiro held out his hand to help him up as Kenpachi finally loosened his hold.<p>

"What the fuck, Shiro? Me and berry here were just getting better acquainted, weren't we, Berry?"  
>"Actually, you were just demonstrating what a lowlife you are."<p>

Shiro shivered at the sound of the berry's voice. He couldn't wait to her the other noises that his strawberry could make.

"What are ya, strawberry? A prude?" Kenpachi laughed and stood to his full height.

The strawberry scowled and turned bodily towards Kenpachi. "I am not a prude. And don't call me 'strawberry'!"

Shiro watched as Kenpachi laughed again, which just made the cute little berry scowl even more. Shiro really couldn't wait to catch the feisty death berry now.

"He ain't a prude, 'Pachi," Shiro smirked as he though of a plan. "He just don't wan. To displease his master, ya see!"

"What!"

The strawberry's eyes had widened almost comically and Shiro barely managed to resist the urge to coo over his adorableness. It would not be good for his reputation if he, one of the most dangerous and blood thirsty killer of the Japanese underworld, babying a kid with bright orange hair. Delectable backside or not.

Kenpachi's eye widened slightly before retreating slightly. "Sorry Shiro, didn't realize that ya owned him." The taller man stepped away to go join Shinji who had moved from the booth to sit at the bar and order another round of drinks.

Shiro turned back to the delectable berry who was still scowling. When the kid noticed Shiro's gaze he straighten his body. "Uh, thanks. I guess."

With a small sigh, the berry pivoted on his heel and swisher past him, his tight jeans fitting oh-so-perfectly on that backside.

Half the heads turned in unison to watch him go, and Shiro knew that he couldn't very well allow such a precious berry to leave him so early. And be was more than likely to be taken advantage of if left to his own demise.

"Can you take me to this hotel?"

Ichigo Kurosaki handed the address to a driver who was leaning on his trunk, desperate to get out of the seedy bar scene and back to his resort for the night.  
>She liked the atmosphere of the town, it was generally okay and the people were friendly. Except that huge guy in the bar. He was WAY too friendly for Ichigo's liking.<p>

"Don't know where it is." The cab driver shook his head at him while trying to stare unrepentantly at his waist.

"You don't need to know where it is, I gave you the map!" He pointed to the address again, a series of numbers and street name that should easily be recognizable for a guy in his profession.

The bar wasn't exactly in a busy part of town, so walking was out of the question. That and Ichigo was afraid that he would run into another groper. Not that he couldn't defend himself, but when you are fighting in a town that you are unfamiliar in, you can easily make mistakes. This was a crappy way to begin his holiday, a vacation that he had only just convinced himself was good for him. Not just because Kon had said so, but also because Ichigo feared that his failing art could be linked to his failing social life. More predominately his dating life.

How many dates had he been on since high school? He could count them on one hand. And the number of guys that he had dated more than once... Exactly one. Renji hadn't lasted more than a few months before Ichigo felt uncomfortable dating his long time best friend. He'd decided that his resort trip needed to be more than relaxing. He would do some serious dating research. Check out the various singles locations and maybe find someone that he could spend some time with.  
>Ichigo blushed at this. At the age of twenty one, he had yet to enter an intimate relationship with anyone. The closest he had gotten to having sex was when Renji decided to take the next step and brush his hand over Ichigo's crotch. Ichigo of course had been horrified and quickly ended the movement with a quick punch to the jaw.<p>

He sighed once more at the driver's comfortable sprawl when he sipped a Coke and listened to a local Japanese radio station. The only illumination came from the bar, casting the street in shadow except for the occasional set of headlights cruising in or out of the parking lot.

"Ya okay there?" A watery sounding voice asked from behind him and distracted Ichigo from waving the paper in the cabbie's face again.

Turning, he discovered the man who had saved him in the bar. The man stood slightly taller than Ichigo and had the palest skin that he had ever seen. His face was strong, but slender nevertheless and his eyes sparkled golden in the poor light. The grin on his face made Ichigo shiver. In arousal or fear, he didn't know. The man's body was built like sin itself. Ichigo could see through the tight black shirt that he was muscular, but not in the way a body builder is. No, the man's muscles fitted his body perfectly.

Assuming he had any judgement where men were concerned, Ichigo figured that he would be able to trust this man. At least to the point to have him persuade the cabbie so he could get back to the hotel.

"I'm fine." Straightening, he stepped away from the driver to introduce himself. "I'm sorry I didn't take more time to thank you properly back there. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

The Albino man glanced at his hand before looking back at his face with a large grin on his own face before taking his fingers and squeezed.

"Shirosaki Hichigo, but my friends call me Shiro. At ya service, Ichi!" Ichigo scowled slightly at the shortened name but made no move to correct the pale man. Ichigo supposed that he should at least be pleasant to the man who saved him from the giant with the roaming hands.

"Ya wanna ride home, Ichi? My car is just up there if ya like."

It was a nice offer. A kind of white-knight (please excuse the pun) suggestion he would have expected from a kind male who he could trust.

But something shifted in the air between them as he asked it.

"Um-" He knew better than to trust something as unreliable as a kind gesture. The man could be a psycho for all he knew. Especially if one were to draw a conclusion from the grin that was threatening to split his face.

"I'd better not."

From behind Shirosaki, the door to the Urahara Shoten swung open with a squeak and a bang. Two guys piled out onto the steps, one a thin blond and the other a giant man. The pervert at the bar.  
>Before he had time for dismay, Shirosaki spun him around, tucking him close to his side as he wrapped his arms around his waist. With his free hand he cradled his heat to his chest as if he were trying to shield Ichigo from the world. All at once he was steering them away from street, down a path through some trees to an alleyway.<br>Oddly, Ichigo could hardly protest when his cheek rubbed against Shiro's chest, his nose picking up the sudden scent of man and aftershave. The warmth of Shiro's body plastered against his own, making Ichigo aware that his previous observations were in fact correct that Shiro had a killer body.  
>Who happened to smell nice, too.<p>

"What are you doing?" Ichigo tripped up on some discarded rubbish to realize that they had moved to a far more secluded location.

"I'm just keeping ya away from touch-happy 'Pachi. Ya don't wanna run into him again." Shiro peered back up the alley way to see if Kenpachi and Shinji has cleared off yet, but to his dismay they were still hanging around the front entrance. More than likely looking for Shiro himself. Dammit. "We can walk down that way and turn right to get back on the main street."

Ichigo suddenly felt adrift, his skin cooling in the aftermath of those moments tucked up against him. Ichigo suddenly drew back further, a deep red blush forming on his face as he caught up with himself. He had let a complete stranger hug him in a secluded alleyway! On top of that the guy was hot... But that didn't change the fact that Ichigo had put himself in a dangerous situation. Ichigo repositioned his laptop bag on his shoulder and took in the sights- a large crescent shaped moon lit the alleyway in dim light, the alleyway itself deserted except for the occasional piece of litter discarded carelessly on the ground.

"You seemed to handle him just fine back in the bar." Not that Ichigo expected Shiro to fight all of his battles for him. But he sure hadn't looked intimidated by the 'pachi guy earlier.

Shiro smirked and drew Ichigo close to his body again, making the little berry blush again. "Ya flatter me, Ichi. But he probably has had enough time to let it sting his ego, so I doubt it will be so easy next time."

Ichigo was tempted to pull away again but Shiro's body heat felt so nice on his cooling skin.  
>"Don't worry bout him though. Ya ain't the first for him to grope in the bar." Ichigo didn't know what to say.<p>

"Although," Shiro smirked, "I see why he wanted to. Ya pretty cute Ichi."

Ichigo blushed madly and tried to pull out of the Albino's grasp again but the muscular arms prevented him from moving more than a couple of centimetres away from his chest.

"What's wrong, King? Did I make ya feel nervous?" Shiro smirked again and stuck his nose into Ichigo's bright orange locks, smelling slightly.

"N-no!" Ichigo stuttered, casting his eyes away from the other. Shiro mentally cooed again at how adorable the little berry really was.

"Ya blushing, King."

Ichigo blushed even deeper and tried to turn his face away from the Albino. Why was he acting like this? It wasn't like it was the first time someone had told him that he was attractive. No, Renji told his constantly while they were going out. Not that Ichigo believed him.

"Look at ya, King! Ya blushing like a virgin!" Ichigo cackles when Ichigo began to fidget madly within his grasp and turn an even deeper shade of red. Oh, so the little strawberry is a virgin?  
>"S-shut up!" Ichigo cried.<p>

"That ain't a bad thing, Ichi! Ya shouldn't be embarrassed!" Shiro smiled and looked down at the slighter man still in his arms. He noticed how the orange head seemed to meld so perfectly with his body. Ah, it definitely was bliss.

Ichigo on the other hand was fairing worse than the albino. God did the orange haired man wish that Shiro wouldn't smile... it made the other look more handsome. Ichigo had the sudden urge to bring his hands up and caress the side of the Albino's face but was pepper from his musings by the presence of another nearby.

"There ya are, Shiro! Oh and it's berry." Kenpachi yelled in his drunken slur, not caring that he was mere centimeters away from Ichigo's scowling face.

"Oi bastard! I told you not to call me 'berry'." Shiro watched as Ichigo pulled away from his embrace before slamming his right fist into Kenpachi's face that was placed perfectly so that the brunt of the force was taking by his nose.

"Don't fuck me off next time, pervert. Unless you want to be in pain, of course!" Ichigo yelled to Kenpachi who was now buckled over clutching his broken nose that was now leaking blood rapidly. Kenpachi grinned and made a comment ago Ichigo being a 'Wild Strawberry' which made the said strawberry in question almost hit the man again.

"Come on, Shiro. We are leaving." He grasped the Albino's wrist and turned to head off down the alleyway with the taller man in tow. Ichigo was furious. Why the fuck did people think that it was so funny to comment on his god damned hair? Hundreds of people all over the world have orange hair so why the fuck take it all out on him? Besides that, people dye their hair ridiculous colors. Especially Grimmjow-Sensei. The man had blue hair for christ's sake!

"Ya know, King, if ya wanted to hold my hand ya could ave just asked." Shiro watched as the orange haired man quickly let go of his hand and spin around with the most adorable expression; one of pure embarrassment with a hint of anger still lingering from the fight not too long ago.

"I-I-I, uh, sorry!"

Shiro laughed before dropping his hand back to clutch the smaller man's hand again. "I never said I wanted it to stop, King! I enjoy holding hands with ya!"

Shiro quickly reclaimed his hands and drew Ichigo back towards his body, placing Ichigo's head beneath his chin to rest comfortably.

"Ah, Shiro?" Ichigo began to fidget again, but not because he was feeling uncomfortable with the Albino but because he could feel un unfamiliar tingling sensation running up and down his arms from where the Albino had touched briefly.

"M'just holdin ya, Ichi." Shiro hummed softly and allowed his hands to shift slightly so that they rested on the small of the orange head's back. He felt Ichigo tense slightly and he waited until the other relaxed before shifting again. Carefully, as not to frighten him, he brought one of his hands up to cradle the base of Ichigo's head. Shiro pulled again slightly to readjust their positions before closing in again. This time Ichigo did freeze, his eyes widening in slight fear. Shiro could hear the orange head's accelerated breathing and he pulled again to look at him directly in the eye.

"I ain't goin ta hurt ya, King." He whispered, his warm breath ghosting over Ichigo's slightly parted lips.

"T-then why are y-you so close?" Ichigo stuttered as he tried to push back again, only to find that Shiro's arms were preventing him from moving again.

"I just wanna kiss ya, Ichi. T' nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Uh?" Shiro smiled softly at the orange head's cuteness. Oh how Shiro just wanted to smash his mouth over Ichigo's.

He lent down to brush his lips down upon the lithe Strawberry's when he saw the man freeze and eyes widen almost comically. Shiro paused to look at the horrified expression of the berry and paused.

Oh shit. What was that for?

**A/N: I hope that you are enjoying this so far. I shall be updating my other stories soon as I am about to finish all of my tests and assignments that are required to be handed up. Thank god for that!**

**Anyway, drop me a review to let me know what you think. Or, if you have an idea for future stories or even plots, please don't hesitate to tell me!**


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